Donations were about 15% lower than at the same time last year, but food bank executive director Gayle Nyberg was hopeful post-holiday food and cash gifts will pick up.
The campaign began Sept. 26 and ends Oct. 17.

"The last week is typically a good week," she said after teams of volunteers finished for the day around 2 p.m.

"Once this election is over, I'm sure they'll pay attention again," she said of donors.

The tally when staff and volunteers left was 122,900 kilos in food gifts, plus $269,000 cash, Nyberg said.

"This is good, but still a long way to go," she said.

This year's goal is 226,800 kilos of food and $500,000 in cash, Nyberg said.

Always worrying about a decline in donations -- especially during economic turmoil -- she said "usage has increased sustantially.
There has been a 7.4% jump in clients who rely on the Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank since last year.

Nyberg said government assistance is inadequate because the average food bank client pays 77% of their income in rent.

As the campaign winds up, Nyberg said food in short supply includes baby formula, cans of fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, pasta, pasta sauce and rice.